In just two minutes into “Lady in the Lake,” one of the main characters dies. She eventually goes under the water as she is thrown by an unidentified man into a lake. Although Cleo is dead, her monologue through voiceover shows that she will live on as a ghost in this tale and those who had roles in causing her death. The speech becomes addressed to Maddie Schwartz, the other protagonist of this show: “You came in at the end of my story.” She says to Maddie, “And turned it into your beginning.”
The series is based upon Laura Lippman’s 2019 novel bearing similar title which has been influenced by actual life Baltimore murders during Lippman’s childhood. A seven-part limited series follows Maddie, a Jewish housewife who is roused from her drudgery when a young girl disappears from their community. An avid writer in her free time, she wishes to be known for investigating what happened to the child; initially such motivation may appear selfish but isn’t it possible that she had much closer connection with this victim than she would have wanted to admit?
Across Baltimore from there is Cleo Johnson whom Maddie first sees standing inside a department store window. She posed like an immoveable doll dressed most exquisitely of all: the precise image of a toy doll come alive while frozen and framed here so as to hint how Cleo seems to be throughout the rest of this movie vis-a-vis Maddie – static and prop-like towards Maddie’s personal success only. Over voiceover shots they don’t directly speak to each other but it’s understood their lives are intertwined somehow anyway. As viewers follow Maddie’s investigation into her tone-deafness toward Black community struggle at her new location, Cleo’s final weeks play out much like they do for Maddie.
Their stories parallel each other. In the very first episode of the show, Maddie’s life as a housewife collapses and Cleo loses control over her attempts to build a future for her children. While Maddie seeks self-determination by moving away from the suburbs into a predominantly black Baltimore neighborhood, Cleo is captured within the narrative threads woven around her by men. Admittedly, this contrasting could leave an unpleasant taste in one’s mouth but Alma Har’el handles it quite well through this TV series.
However, after the Lady in the Lake first episode she becomes more active and no longer narrates much about what had happened. Even Ingram and Portman appear in nearly equal amounts of screen time on each side; thus making such a performance better than any other could have been. The character name given to her was something really powerful and it suited perfectly for Ingram who made my eyes open wider when I saw him/her play this role. You feel like you are watching talent being born with every tear from her eye or every word she stammers out because of emotions. Her scenes make up for some of the most interesting parts in the series, all thanks to Har’el’s smart camera work.
This exquisite framing extends itself also to the actors surrounding its set pieces.’ There are plenty of club scenes throughout ‘Lady in the Lake’, however one sequence featuring Ingram in Episode 3 is one that particularly stands out in this regard.
After witnessing something she shouldn’t have that begins to haunt her every move, Cleo takes to the club to release her inhibitions. She moves around like someone possessed by demons-her feet thump on the dancefloor so loud that at times they drown out singing voice onstage. Like she is filming churchgoers during service, Har’el frames people dancing on dancefloors understanding implicitly that dance means freedom.
It is when convoluted plots are discarded for visually stunning sequences showcasing talents ranging from music supervisors to on-screen performers that “Lady in the Lake” is at its best. This only gets more pronounced as the show progresses. The pilot is a little weak, but Har’el and company build upon it in every subsequent episode until it becomes one of the most fascinating miniseries post-“Big Little Lies”. It is very hard for these shows to stand out among crowded streaming series like this. Fortunately, everyone involved seems to have given their all here and it definitely shows in this production.
Such an adaptation has been done just as it should be; however, there are moments when blending of both narratives could have worked better. Whereas this dark shade adds a cutting edge that’s missing from the genre altogether; therefore giving birth to a uniquely fresh screenplay.
Mikey Madison recites a haunting monologue from one of Anaïs Nin’s diaries, Maddie’s teenage memories are fractured; it feels like just when we as the audience think we understand where this show is going, the rug is ripped from beneath our feet, pulling us into the dark unknown along with the series’ characters.
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